After leaving the factory—ears still ringing with the sound of furnaces and the proud shouts of craftsmen—I took a deep breath.
One massive milestone achieved.
Time to check the next one.
My new home zone.
Not a "house."
Not a "residence."
An entire Pokémon Zone designated for me.
Colonel Rawat had mentioned its construction yesterday.
But I hadn't seen it yet.
So I took a cab.
When I reached the end of the road, I froze.
Because the place didn't look like a government residence.
It looked like a classified weapons-testing facility.
A 15-foot reinforced wall stretched around the entire compound.
The wall had electric mesh along the top—military-grade deterrent.
Watchtowers stood at the corners.
Armored military trucks and jeeps were parked in rows.
The main gate was six inches of reinforced alloy, sliding horizontally.
Two squads of soldiers patrolled in full gear.
I blinked.
"…Are they building me a house or a nuclear bunker?"
As I stepped toward the gate, the soldiers noticed me instantly.
Their posture changed from alert to respectful in one breath.
"Sir!"The front guard saluted sharply."We have been informed of your arrival!"
"Uh… good morning," I replied awkwardly.
Even after everything, it still felt weird having grown men in military uniform salute me.
I approached the gate commander.
"Has the zone been swept already?"
His expression stiffened.
"No sir. We were told strictly not to interfere with the internal Pokémon population. Our job is limited to perimeter defense only."
Good.That meant the zone's ecology was untouched.
"What about external detection?" I asked. "Anything seen near the walls or from vantage towers?"
The commander nodded.
"Yes sir. We've identified multiple small Pokémon species along the outer vegetation."
He pulled out his tablet and tapped the list.
"Based on Pokedex images, we confirmed these from the perimeter only:
• Budew• Roselia• Hoothoot• Buneary
And sir…"
He hesitated.
"There was also a monkey-like green Pokémon. Fast. Agile. We couldn't get a clear look. The Pokedex didn't lock onto it."
My eyebrows rose.
Green. Agile. Monkey-like.
Possibilities:
Pansage
Grookey
"What direction?" I asked.
He pointed northeast.
"Around 200 meters into the wooded region from north perimeter. The creature stayed in the trees."
Hmm.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I took a moment to stare at the enormous walls again.
"…This really looks like a high-tier lab."
The commander nodded respectfully.
"Orders from higher-ups, sir. They want it secure."
I inhaled deeply.
Secure was good.
But I needed livable too.
And Pokémon-friendly.
"Open the gate," I said finally. "I'll check the inside myself."
The commander saluted.
"Yes, sir! Open Gate Protocol!"
The massive metal slab screeched open, revealing dense woodland inside.
A hidden forest.
A private zone.
My future base of operations.
"Alright," I murmured to myself, "let's see what kind of home I'm getting."
________________________________________________________________________
I stopped walking.
My jaw actually dropped.
Because the first thing in front of me—
Was a villa.
Not a house.
Not a bungalow.
A villa straight out of a billionaire's catalogue.
White-stone walls, tall glass panels, curved balconies, a central fountain (currently off), and a driveway wide enough to land a helicopter on.
"…What the hell."
I blinked hard.
"I did NOT know something like this existed in Mumbai."
Three floors.Modern architecture.Imported tiles.Carved railings.A literal mansion… in the middle of Dadar.
Then I remembered:
The previous owner had evacuated when Pokémon activity surged and the government declared this entire area a protected high-grade zone.
Lucky me.
Unlucky him.
I walked toward the front yard—and stopped again.
Because tucked between the rose hedges…
"…Oddish?"
A tiny Oddish peeked out, leaves trembling adorably.
Another one had already taken root in a soft patch of soil and was happily absorbing sunlight.
They froze when they saw me.
"Don't worry," I said gently, kneeling down. "I won't disturb your spot."
The grounded Oddish blinked once, then relaxed.
The other hopped away, disappearing into the flowerbed.
Cute.
A sudden rustle—
Two Buneary sprinted across the lawn like toddlers running from a stranger.
The moment they saw me, they bolted behind the fountain.
I chuckled.
"Yeah… figures. New humans scare them."
Inside the Villa
The interior was… excessive.
Marble floors.Imported lights.High ceilings.A living room larger than my entire old house.Five bedrooms on the first floor. Five on the second. Five on the third.
Every floor had a balcony.
Every room had central cooling and smart controls.
A literal palace.
"Oh god… Mom is going to faint."
The place was clean—military maintenance crews had clearly swept it—but the décor needed work. Pokémon-proofing, training rooms, berry storage, healing stations… lots of modifications needed.
Still—
I whistled softly.
"Yeah… this will do."
I climbed up to the terrace and pushed open the heavy glass door.
Wind brushed my hair as I stepped out.
From here?
I could see everything.
The entire compound spread out beneath me.
Wide green lawns.Side gardens.A long empty stretch of land behind the villa—almost 500 meters of clear ground.
And then—
The zone.
Dense thickets.Bushes and saplings.Clusters of low berry trees—probably naturally migrated.Beyond that, a small rocky hill rose sharply.
Halfway up the hill—
Two Murkrow perched on a boulder, cawing at each other.
Black feathers gleaming in the sunlight.
Behind the hill…
Huge trees.
A real forest hidden inside the walls.
A ecosystem.
My ecosystem.
My future base.
I leaned on the railing, taking it all in.
"The backyard alone is bigger than most parks."
I could already imagine:
• Training grounds• Berry farms• Pokémon habitats• A mini-breeding zone• A research wing• A gym-like combat arena
All inside one secured compound.
A perfect home.
I exhaled slowly.
"This… might be better than I expected."
A rustle drew my attention.
Something green leaped across the trees at the edge of the zone.
Fast. Agile. Monkey-like.
The same one the soldiers mentioned.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Looks like I'll be making a new friend soon."
____________________________________________________________
After confirming the villa was structurally sound—and after deciding I'd need at least a week to Pokémon-proof the interior—I stepped into the backyard.
It was huge.
Wide enough to build two full gym-style battlegrounds, plus berry orchards along the perimeter. The land was flat and fertile. With minimal modification, this could easily become a proper training ground.
I walked toward the thicket at the far end.
The moment I pushed aside a low branch—
Something small tumbled out.
A Budew.
It blinked up at me, wobbling slightly, its tiny bud swaying as if trying to decide whether to run or greet me.
"Hey there," I said softly.
I reached into my bag and pulled out a Pink Pokéblock.
Budew sniffed it, hesitated… then began nibbling enthusiastically.
A soft "dew~" left its mouth as I gently patted its head.
That's when the bushes rustled sharply.
Two Roselia emerged.
Arms raised.
Thorns glowing faintly.
Their eyes locked onto Budew in my hands—and fury flashed in them.
I raised my free hand and snapped:
"Mankey. Pikachu."
Pop—pop.
They appeared instantly, stance low, eyes sharp.
I stared directly at the Roselia.
"Stop right there."
They froze, thorns still poised.
"If either of you makes a rash move, I'll beat you unconscious. I am not here to harm Budew. Or you. But I will defend myself."
The Budew in my arms didn't share their tension.It was too busy chewing its Pokéblock, blissfully unaware its parents were preparing for war.
The Roselia exchanged a quick, uncertain look—because I wasn't attacking, even with their child in my arms.
Good.
They weren't stupid.
I continued, voice steady:
"This entire area is now my territory. My home. My family will live here. If you want to stay peacefully, I'll allow it."
Mankey thumped the ground.
Pikachu's cheeks sparked.
Rhyhorn wasn't released—grass types would tear through him anyway—and Pidgeotto was still in Aarey training the Pidgey squad. So this was the best intimidation I had.
"But," I said firmly, "if you cause chaos or threaten anyone here… I will beat you and throw you into another zone. Your choice."
The Roselia faltered.
Fear slowly replaced aggression.
Budew looked between us, utterly unbothered, then resumed eating.
I softened my tone slightly.
"I'm not here to destroy your habitat. You can live here peacefully as long as you follow basic rules. Consider this place under my protection—as long as you don't make trouble."
The Roselia lowered their arms.
Good.
"Now," I said, pointing toward the villa, "go tell the rest of the Roselia, any Oddish line, Buneary, and whatever else lives here to gather near the house. I want to meet everyone."
They hesitated… then nodded.
But before they turned, I asked:
"Also—who's the leader here? The Overlord of this zone."
Their answer made me blink.
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